Rival: Ammerman Does A Flip-flop

The Orlando Council Member Signed A Pledge Backing A Gay-rights Law But Now Says He Erred.

April 4, 2002|By Mark Schlueb, Sentinel Staff Writer

Just where does Orlando City Council member Don Ammerman stand on gay rights?

Ammerman's campaign opponent, Phil Diamond, called a news conference Wednesday to slam the incumbent for "playing political games" with the gay-rights issue.

"He is telling one group one thing and another group something else," Diamond said.

On Feb. 21, the Metropolitan Business Association asked City Council candidates to sign a pledge in support of a proposed ordinance to ban employment and workplace discrimination against gays and lesbians.

Ammerman didn't show up for a candidates' forum sponsored by the MBA, an organization made up of gay and gay-friendly merchants. But he did sign the pledge and faxed it to MBA representatives. His position surprised MBA members; in 1998, he opposed allowing gay-pride flags to fly downtown.

Diamond said he supports expanding discrimination protections to include gays, but he did not sign the pledge because he wants to see the legal language first.

The ordinance would prohibit employers from discriminating based on sexual orientation, landlords from refusing to rent to gays, and public places like restaurants and hotels from barring gays.

Businesses with six or fewer employees, landlords with fewer than four rental units, religious organizations and private clubs will probably be exempted from the ordinance, if it is adopted.

But despite going on record in support of the anti-discrimination ordinance in February, Ammerman said in a campaign flier this week that he opposes the measure.

Ammerman said Wednesday that he's against the proposal, which he thinks would subject employers to legal action by disgruntled workers.

"I really believe in equal protection. People need to be hired and promoted based on ability and performance, not sexual orientation," Ammerman said. "But this is an effort by a politically active group of people who want special rights, and that's wrong."

So why did he sign the pledge? Ammerman said he thought he was backing a non-discrimination policy for city employees only, not the private sector.

He said the proposed ordinance could be a "defining difference" between Diamond and himself.

The two meet in a runoff election on Tuesday. Orlando's Human Relations Board will hold a public hearing to gather input on the proposed ordinance at 6 p.m. April 16 at City Hall.